Finding A Document Management Solution
In-House vs. Hosted Solutions

<center> <h1> Finding A Document Management Solution <br>In-House vs. Hosted Solutions </h1> <br> Author: Aridine Word Count: 602 </center> <p align="center"> <blockquote>    Before we get started, some of you may be asking what is document management? <br> <br> Document Management is the ability to manage all of your paper documents in an electronic format. Let's define "paper documents in electronic format". <br> <br> Basically, there are two types of document management systems, either an in-house solution, or an outsourced hosted solution. <br> <br> So,which one will best suit your needs? Good question. Most companies base their decision on available staff to maintain these systems, and the technical abilities of those staff members. Cost of a solution is also a deciding factor. While the cost of an in-house solution is higher up front, having the technical staff to support it, it typically pays off in the long run due to the calculated Return On Investment (ROI). The lower cost of a hosted solution is appealing to many companies because this solution puts the technical responsibilities on the solution provider. It's also beneficial in that most of these solutions are web-based. While some companies can truly benefit from the hosted solution, many can't due to confidentiality of the information contained within their organization. <br> <br> Finding a solution to fit your company's needs can be a time consuming venture. We recommend you first determine what solution fits your organization best, then shop for a solution with the features best suited to your business needs. <br> <br> How much office space can I save? Good question. It depends on the amount of paper files you have taking up your valuable office space. <br> <br> In most offices, there are filing cabinets everywhere. We've become attached and dependant on our paper files. Since most companies are mandated to hold their records from 3 to 7 years, that adds up to an exhaustive amount of paper needed to be maintained and stored. Where do you store it? In your office? A records storage company? What are those costs? All these questions lead this topic in a new direction. Why are you keeping these records in paper format? Why not an electronic format? <br> <br> OK, let's look at some statistics. But before we do that, let's set the standard office environment so we have a reference point to start from. Now for the breakdown: <br> <br> A typical filing cabinet drawer holds about 3000 pages when full. So a full 4 drawer cabinet holds about 12000 pages. <br> <br> A lateral file drawer holds about twice or 50% more files. So a full 2 drawer lateral cabinet holds about 12000 pages. <br> <br> The Simple Math <br> <br> Ok, now that we know what we have in the space of our filing cabinets, let's look at space on storage media. <br> <br> A standard 8 1/2 x 11 page scanned at 200x200 DPI (dots per inch) is about 50k in size (average) There is 1024k in 1 megabyte of space. There are 700 megabytes of space on a CD. There are 4,700 megabytes of space on a DVD. <br> <br> Ok, here's the simple math. <br> <br> 1,024k (1 megabyte) divided by 50k (standard scanned document) = 20.48 documents per megabyte 700 megabytes (1 CD) x 20 (scanned images per megabyte) = 14,000 documents per CD 4,700 megabytes (1 DVD) x 20 (scanned images per megabyte) = 94,000 documents per DVD <br> <br> So here are the facts. <br> <br> 1 CD = 1 filing cabinet full of paper documents (12,000 documents) 1 DVD = 7 filing cabinets full of paper documents (84,000 documents) <br> <br> Once these documents are scanned and placed on a CD or DVD (write once only media) they become legal documents that can be archived and retrieved later in the event you would like to print, fax, or email them. <br> <br> About The Author: ARIDINE, Inc. presents both of these solutions (In-House and Hosted document management), and can help you define which is best suited for you. http://www.aridine.com/ <br> Soource:<a href="http://www.webmasterinfoandcontent.com/">www.webmasterinfoandcontent.com</a> </p> </center> </blockquote>

<CENTER> <h1>Writing The Book On Great Customer Service</h1></CENTER><br>By Tim Knox<br><br><P ALIGN="CENTER">Q: One of the big chain bookstores recently opened up near my small book store. Already I can see my business starting to decline. Is there anything I can do to compete with the bigger store or should I just accept the inevitable? <br>-- Peter Q. <br> <br>A: A wise man once said, "The inevitable is never a sure thing." <br> <br>Don't be so quick to close the book on your business, Peter. You probably can't compete with the superstore on volume of inventory or on price, but there are other things you can do to help keep the customers coming in your door. One of the best ways to ensure customer loyalty is to offer superior customer service. <br> <br>It's funny that you're a bookseller. Let me tell you about my last visit to one of the big chain bookstores just a few weeks ago. <br> <br>I took my teenage daughter in to find the classic book, The Once and Future King, for a school project that has to be done over the summer. It was a Sunday afternoon and the store was crawling with customers. We spent fifteen minutes scouring this great warehouse of a bookstore, but couldn't find the book anywhere. We also couldn't find anyone who worked there to ask for help. <br> <br>Finally, I went up to the front counter and asked the apathetic looking teenager who was manning the register if they had the book in stock. She looked at me as if I'd asked her to do advanced calculus in her head and said, "I dunno." <br> <br>I asked if she might check her computer for me. She looked at me again, this time as if I'd just asked her to rotate the tires on my car without a jack. After a minute of tapping the keys with her long fingernails (which were painted black, by the way) she said, "Yeah, we have it." <br> <br>"Great," I said. "Where can I find it?" <br> <br>She glanced at the screen again and said, "It says that it's in the classics section." <br> <br>"Great," I said again. I use the word "great" a lot when I'm trying to restrain myself from strangling incompetent sales people. "Where might the classics section be?" <br> <br>She didn't bother to look at me or the computer this time. She just shrugged and said, "Beats me, man. I've only worked here a week. " <br> <br>I wanted to ask if there was anyone who had worked there long enough to know where the ^%$# classics section was, but by that time there were a dozen or so people lining up behind me to pay for books they had somehow managed to find on their own. <br> <br>I went home and ordered the book online. So much for supporting my local bookseller. <br> <br>It's a shame your store isn't located near me, Peter. I'll bet if I walked in and asked for a copy of The Once and Future King you would be able to tell me almost to the square inch where the book is on the shelf in your store. I'll also bet that if you didn't have a copy in stock you would go out of your way to order it for me. <br> <br>That is what superior customer service is all about: going the extra mile to satisfy your customer. That is what will keep customers coming back to your store time and time again. <br> <br>Superior customer service leads to greater customer satisfaction, which leads to repeat business, which leads to the holy grail of the retail business: customer loyalty. <br> <br>Here are a few tips on how to deliver superior customer service and build customer loyalty: <br> <br>1. Anyone on your staff who deals directly with the customers should be well groomed and dressed appropriately for the job. Customers over 25 years old will not get a warm and fuzzy feeling if the guy processing their credit card is wearing an Ozzy Osborne tee-shirt and matching nose ring. <br> <br>2. Sales people should be knowledgeable about the product they are selling. I can't tell you how many times I have asked a sales person a simple question and only got a blank stare in return. A lack of product knowledge does nothing to instill confidence in the customer. <br> <br>3. Your staff should know where every product is without having to ask a manager or consult a computer. At the very least they should be able to point out the ^%$# classics section without blinking an eye. <br> <br>4. Make it a point to know your customer's name. Nothing makes a customer feel special like the sound of his or her own name. You can't remember everyone's name, of course, but you should strive to remember the names of those customers who come in regularly. I f requent one particular restaurant and the owner not only knows my name, but the names of my wife and kids. And every time I set foot in his restaurant he calls me by name and shakes my hand and personally leads me to a table. I don't feel like a customer. I feel like a friend. <br> <br>5. Offer personal services that the big boys do not. Anything you can do to make your customer's life easier will be appreciated and remembered. If a customer comes in and asks for a book you do not have, offer to order the book and deliver it to their home so they don't have to make another trip to pick it up. All this is going to cost you is a few minutes of your time and you will not only save a sale, but also make a lasting impression on that customer. The next time they need a book they will head your way. <br> <br>There are other things you can do to combat the bookstore Goliath, Peter, but offering superior customer service is a great place to start. <br> <br>Here's to your success! <br> <br>Tim Knox<br><br>About the Author: Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs. Related Links: <a href="http://www.prosperityandprofits.com" target="_blank">http://www.prosperityandprofits.com</a> <a href="http://www.smallbusinessqa.com" target="_blank">http://www.smallbusinessqa.com</a> <a href="http://www.dropshipwholesale.net" target="_blank">http://www.dropshipwholesale.net</a> <a href="http://www.30dayblueprint.com" target="_blank">http://www.30dayblueprint.com</a> <br>Source:<a href="http://www.webmasterinfoandcontent.com/">www.webmasterinfoandcontent.com</a> </CENTER> </P>